Man rescued after falling through lake ice in Antioch

Firefighters in Antioch rescued a man who fell through ice on Lake Marie while riding his ATV this afternoon.

The man, identified only as being in his 30s, was in the ice, clinging to the vehicle, for about 20 minutes before he was rescued, said Antioch Fire Chief John Nixon.

The 911 call came in at about 1:05 p.m., Nixon said, and may have been made by the victim, who had his cell phone with him.

The water in the area where the victim fell in was about up to his neck, Nixon said. Two rescuers in ice suits were able to get a line around him and pull him out of the water onto a more firm piece of ice, he said.

The victim was transported to Northern Illinois Medical Center in McHenry for evaluation of hypothermia, Nixon said.

“People have to understand the ice isn’t always safe,” Nixon said, adding that he was happy for a positive outcome and proud of firefighters and paramedics.